[Please initiate Lip-to-Lip contact to start the bond]
I blinked multiple times as that stupid message from the system flashed in front of my eyes. To initiate the Symbiotic Bond, one had to initiate lip-to-lip contact as a way of showing physical compatibility. Aha. I just had to kiss the dolls all this time, and I would have been better than an F-Ranked Hunter. Ahaha. Silly me. How could I miss that! It was so obvious—MY FOOT.
What in the hell was this system saying now? It wanted me to initiate lip-to-lip contact to start the bond? I quickly pulled away and waved my hands, leaving Seraphina’s touch. The message didn’t disappear from in front of us, but it was still a thing.
“L-let’s ignore this,” I said. “This stupid skill doesn’t work anyway. It is just acting out again. I am sure it will be the same as always.”
“A kiss…”
“No, no. Look, I know this seems very weird,” I quickly held Seraphina’s shoulders again. More than the cold, I wanted to explain myself here. “But I am not a pervert trying anything here, I promise. Let’s just leave it be.”
Seraphina’s lips quivered.
“I… believe you.”
“Right. Thank you. So let’s—”
“That’s why!” Seraphina said. Just slightly, perhaps again because I was so close to her, or perhaps because I had seen her already in so many turbulent emotions, I could sense just the smallest hint of desperation in her voice. “That’s why. I think we should try it.”
“Look. I don’t even swing that way.”
Seraphina reached out and placed her palm on my chest. No, she was just slightly, very lightly, holding the hem of my collar. “Are you that averse to it? This is my only hope. Please.”
I pursed my lips.
I mean… It was just a kiss. The beautiful eyes staring back at me made my heart skip a beat. It confused even me. I could feel a strange tingling rising in my stomach, very softly, like a single butterfly floating around. But anyone would feel that when faced by a woman so beautiful. She was so much prettier, so picturesque, so… soft and gentle and so regal and so graceful…
Just a kiss.
It was just a kiss. It meant nothing. If it could help her with something… Perhaps I could do that much. Why couldn’t I? It wasn’t like there was any person I was in love with, not like it was cheating anyway.
“Alright… if you are truly okay with it,” I said. “Perhaps… we can.”
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Seraphina gave me a slow, soft nod. She kept her hand on my collar. Her fingers slowly coiled around and clenched my clothes tighter. She was nervous, I could tell. A little.
“Elara…”
“Yes…?”
She was closer.
Her breath was cold. It was something I couldn’t help notice. She kept her eyes turned down, not meeting mine.
“Have you done this before?”
“Not… really… I’ve been too busy surviving.”
“It’s the same for me.”
Our noses were almost touching. She was so vulnerable in my hands, like a small kitten. If any of us pushed a little further, we would have swallowed the other. Yet, we were reaching closer. Closer.
Our lips almost brushed.
It was clinical to a degree. Just before meeting hers, I licked my lips with my tongue, dabbing them wet. And then.
We kissed.
A soft hum left Seraphina’s body. Her feet tightened on the ground as she leaned her entire body forward. It was cold, yet the cold was inviting, almost balancing out the heat in my own breath and body. I held her tighter as I closed my eyes and leaned into the kiss again.
There was no tongue, no experience, nothing, just two lips meeting. A primal thing, as if we were two people discovering fire for the first time. It was that noble to us. Both of us.
So we kissed.
Deeper.
Longer.
Slowly pulling back.
Then, changing our mind and dragging in again. For another second, for another moment, for another bit of this kiss. We stuck together.
Finally, after a few seconds that seemed like a long time, we both opened our eyes and moved away from each other. Seraphina’s gaze lowered again, she had barely opened her eyes. It fell on our lips, at the small thread of saliva connecting us.
[Ding! The Symbiotic Bond has been confirmed]
The thread of saliva fell, dropping down to my chin. Seraphina’s eyes widened as she read the notification, while I wiped the string of our kiss away from my lips.
My heart… was throbbing. What was with her? Was she feeling the same? Was it only me who felt this way? I looked up to confirm these thoughts, and saw… Seraphina slowly collapses and falls on the desk behind her.
-Thud!
“Ah!” I yelped and helped her up. She was knocked out cold.
[Draining life force from host - Elara Klein]
[Your Life Force has been shared with your partner - Seraphina Vahn]
[Level 1 connection has been established]
[Ding! Symbiotic Bond has levelled up.]
[Calculating Initial Synchronization Bonus...] [Synchronization Complete!]
[STATUS: ELARA]
Rank: F
Level: 1
Title: [Seraphina's Partner]
Status: (AILED!) Mana Frostbite [Shared]
[CORE STATS]
Strength: 5 -> 8 (+3)
Agility: 7 -> 10 (+3)
Stamina: 6 -> 15 (+9)
Constitution: 5 -> 12 (+7)
Mana: 12 -> 50 (+38)
Willpower: 18 (Unchanged)
[CORE SKILLS]
Symbiotic Bond (LV 1)
Description: Forms a deep link with a bonded partner, allowing for the mutual exchange and enhancement of life force, mana, and skills. Bond deepens through physical and emotional resonance.
Current Bond: Seraphina Vahn (Bond LV 1)
Bond Slots: 1/1
Active Effects: [Mana Share (Rank F)], [Pain Suppression (Rank F)]
[NEW] Mana Share (Rank F)
Description: You can draw a small amount of mana from your partner's reserves. The amount is determined by your partner's consent and current Bond Level.
[NEW] Pain Sharing (Rank F)
Description: A passive effect. Your bond naturally alleviates a portion of your partner's physical pain and debuffs. Efficacy is based on Bond Level.
[NEW] Ice Magic (Rank F)
Description: You can start the basics of Ice Magic. Summon, manipulate, and control the Ice element with Mana as the conduit.
[BOND STATUS: SERAPHINA VAHN (LV 1)]
Current Resonance: 15%
Progression to LV 2: [||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---] 15/100
Note: Increased physical and emotional intimacy will raise Bond Resonance.
